Licorice-flavored chewing gum has long been known in the United States and is currently popular in Europe. Although synthetic licorice flavors are available, naturally-derived licorice flavors are preferred. The best sources of licorice flavor are licorice extracts from licorice root. Licorice extracts are available in powder form, liquid form or paste/block form. Most commonly, the licorice extracts used in chewing gum are in the form of a spray dried powder. Liquid licorice contains too much water to be desirable for chewing gum, and paste/block licorice is not easy to handle.
Licorice powder has had a tendency to clump or agglomerate during or shortly after its addition to chewing gum compositions. This clumping or agglomeration has prevented or made it more difficult for the licorice to become completely and uniformly dispersed in the chewing gum compositions. This clumping or agglomeration has adversely affected the chewing gum both in terms of physical appearance and flavor. As to physical appearance, the chewing gum has appeared nonuniform and "mottled" in the vicinity of the licorice clumps. As to flavor, the lack of dispersion has resulted in less than optimum flavor duration and flavor impact at any given moment.
Various methods are known in the chewing gum industry for reducing the clumping or agglomeration of licorice powder. One technique is to add licorice early in the addition and mixing process, along with other dry chewing gum ingredients, and allow the licorice to become well mixed before adding moisture-containing chewing gum ingredients. Another technique is to add licorice late in the process, allowing the moisture-containing ingredients to become thoroughly mixed with other dry ingredients before licorice is added.
Methods are also known for enhancing the flavor of licorice in chewing gum. U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,123, issued to Luccarelli, Jr. et al., discloses a technique for enhancing licorice and other flavors by adding 4-methyl-3-cyclohexene-1-carboxylic acid.
There is a need or desire in the chewing gum industry for an effective technique of using licorice powder which does not require significantly altering the addition and mixing process to accomodate the use of licorice, and which does not require the use of additional synthetic ingredients not ordinarily present in the chewing gum.